Due to negative impact of climate change, the soil of coastal belt at Kalapara under Patuakhali district has being contained salinity which is harmful for any cultivation. Farmers are helpless during BORO rice season and a big number of lands were uncultivated due to lack of sweet water as saline water entered in cannels, rivers and other sources. In this situation, speedtrust took initiatives to mobilize the local farmers to protecting saline water in the cannels through making small barrages with cooperation of local farmers so that farmers can have opportunity to cultivate BORO rice through irrigation of reserved sweet water. In this year, 13 schemes have been projected for BORO cultivation in 212 acores of land where 502 farmers are involved. This initiate will address food security as well as the adaption option of Climate Change in this region.

The International Women’s Day has been observed with different programs of speedtrust's project areas. The theme of the Day of 2009 was: “Women and Men United to End Violence against Women and Girls”. On the occasion of the day, speedtrust has taken several programs in its working areas and upazillas and all works of people have joined the programs on understanding the collective role of men and women can stop violence against women and children. Publishing posters, discussions, rally and children arts competition were the major events on this occasion. Beside this Nationally, the day has been observed everywhere in Bangladesh. Government and private agencies have taken different programs and activities on the day.

speedtrust has been carrying out Livehood Emergency Program at Kalapara in Assistance with Helen Keller International funded by Save the Children-USA. 48 different development scrimps will be implemented at five more affected unions by Sidr. Road repairing,playing ground development,road site plantation, pond escavation, fingerlings and saplings distribution are the key components under cash for work activities.This project ensure employment for 2000 vulnerable people per day at the project areas through cash for work. Local government and respective local people are directly involved in selection of project scrimps with a participatory process. Around 19 staff are involved under this project and taka 28 million will be spent by june, 2009.

557 families received khash Land at Chars from the government at coastal belt of Bauphal, Dasmina and Kalapara in assistance of speedtrust. The criteria of khash Land holders are: victim of river erosion, landless poor people and poor farmers. Under this program, speedtrust had organized the landless people through Char-base associations for building awareness so that they can raise the voice for demanding their Land Rights and communication with the respective govt. department for these issues.

A six-member Scottish delegate led by Dr. Wali Tasar Uddin, MBE, D. Litt, JP, Hon Consul of Bangladesh in Scotland have been visited SIDR affected coastal areas at Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali district on 27-28 Feb. During their visit, they met with different stakeholders of SIDR affected people and discussed with the UNO of Kalapara ,Depury Commissioners of Patuakhali and Barisal and Divitional Commissioner od Barisal Divition regarding post SIDR initiatives of Government and other agencies. Mr. Shahidul Rahman, Sector Head of ActionAid was accoimpanied during the visit

Rakhain is a small tribe of arakan origin belonging to the Bhotbarmi community of the Mongoloids. There are 7,049 Rakhains in the Patuakhali region. Indigenous people, popularly known as ‘Adivashis’, are very much marginalized people in Bangladesh. In the social and economic terms, they represent the weaker section of the population and face greater odds in everyday life, with denial of their uniqueness and onslaught of the dominant class and culture. The richness of indigenous culture, like the indigenous people, has been obliterated and suppressed by the dominant society. This is also true even in case of folk and traditional art forms that flows like undercurrents in the mainstream society. This is a reflection of alienation in society and found expression in so many ways.
Speedtrust has taken an initiative to empower this community in socially and economically through non-formal education, upholding traditional culture, cotton cultivation, citizen rights awareness and horticulture development.

A 4-day long ECD Facilitators’ Refresher Residential Training course has been conducted at SPEED Trust project office, Bauphal, Patuakhali, commencing from 11 Sep, 2007. 20 women facilitators of SAFAL and Promoting Good Governance Project from Kalapara and Dasmina upazla respectively are attended this course. The objective of the course to review their previous performance and how to overcome the problem locally and build their capacity for achieving quality education. The course was facilitated by speedtrust’s resource persons. These projects are funded by ActionAid Bangladesh and Manusher Jonno Foundation, Dhaka.